New barbecue restaurant in Goodrich dishes up smoky favorites

GOODRICH, MI – Smoked over a combination of hickory, fruit and maple woods, the ribs prepared at Smokin J’s Bar-B-Que Pit on a large rotisserie smoker are coated in a glaze to seal in a spice blend on a crispy outer layer.

"It's gives it a nice, subtle flavor," said owner Jeff Kenyon, 40, of Ortonville who fine-tuned his culinary skills at home over years and years.

But when diners bite into the St. Louis style ribs at Goodrich’s newest eatery, the meat cooked for more than four hours pulls away with a slight tug from the bone and into awaiting stomachs.

The smell from the finished product strikes the senses of diners as soon as they walk into the door at the new restaurant at the corner of Hegel Road and Clarence Street, in the village’s quaint downtown area lined with an old-fashioned barber shop and historic library building.

Kenyon recently made the decision to open up shop in a 1,200-square-foot building that first served as a post office, before it morphed into a pizza joint and ice cream parlor in more recent years.

Having scanned the landscape in deciding where to open, Kenyon said "There's not lot of food choices around here," along with the potential to offer a different type of eatery for residents.

Other items on the menu include Cherrywood smoked chicken glazed with honey butter, pulled pork cooked for up to 12 hours and made to order. Most of the food is smoked, with Kenyon noting it's a technique he enjoys, but not faulting those at home chefs using charcoal or gasoline.

Kenyon prefers the St. Louis style ribs because they are a little more economical and the cuts are usually closer in size. He said they have a little bite, with a misnomer from some that ribs falling off the bone are better.

"The meat falling off the bone means they're overcooked actually," he said, adding with his style "You can peel (the meat) apart easy, but it doesn't fall right off."

The ribs, chicken, pork and beef brisket are prepared on a Cookshack smoker, located in a small shed behind the actual business, that can hold up to 500 pounds of meat at at a time, including an entire pig.

While orders can change from one day to the next, Kenyon said people often gravitate towards the ribs or pulled pork. Of the glaze used on the meats, Kenyon said "That's kind of a secret.

"If I told you that, everybody would be doing it" he said, with a sly smile.

For this not so keen on meat, the menu is filled out with some alternatives including fish, burgers, sandwiches, salads and fruit pies for anyone with some room left after the main course for dessert.

Some residents have already begun regulars, with Kenyon noting "I have a lady that comes in every other day and gets a chicken sandwich and eats it here."

The current location has a few picnic-style tables, matching the rustic decor of the small front of the business, with the kitchen space taking up two-thirds of the restaurant building.

Kenyon on business, which he said has been steady, he expects to use a 1,200 square-foot lot next door he also owns -- where the Goodrich House used to sit before it was torn down a few years ago -- to create a sit-down restaurant with same rustic feel.

"It's been mostly positive so far," he said of the community's reaction. Restaurant hours are from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. -10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Kenyon said they also provide delivery to a six-mile radius and cater events in the community -- both with additional delivery fees. For more information on Smokin J's, call 810-636-9200.

Roberto can be reached by phone at 810-429-3865, email at racosta1@mlive.com, on Facebook at Roberto Acosta Journalist, Roberto Acosta on Google Plus or on Twitter @racostaJourno.